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Public Safety
City continues to work on wildfire mitigation strategies
The public may not have noticed, but Austin-Travis County had 963 different brush and grass fire alarms in September, Assistant Fire Chief Andre de la Reza told members of the city’s Public Safety Commission on Monday. The department was able…
Fire • By Jo Clifton • Oct 5, 2023
APD's 911 center seeing progress in filling dispatcher, call taker vacancies
Austin Police Department has made progress in filling vacancies and improving retention in its Emergency Communications Center over the past 12 months, with more new hires expected by the end of the year. A memo released last week from Robin…
Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 2, 2023
Austin slowly expands police oversight powers voters passed in the spring
Months after Austinites overwhelmingly passed a sweeping measure calling for stronger police oversight, the City Council voted Thursday to set hard deadlines for staff to expand the Office of Police Oversight’s power. The resolution was approved 10 to 1, with Council Member Mackenzie…
Police • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Sep 22, 2023
Working group aims for systemic overhaul of Austin’s handling of sexual assault cases
City Council will consider today three agenda items related to the Austin Police Department’s handling of sexual assault cases. If approved, they would direct more than $443,000 in city and grant funds toward an outside review of such cases opened…
Public Safety • By Emma Freer • Sep 21, 2023
Huston-Tillotson University wants to improve maternal health outcomes by training more doulas
Huston-Tillotson University is launching a program that will train doulas, midwives and lactation consultants in an effort to combat Texas’ high maternal mortality rates, especially among Black women. The historically Black university announced the new partnership with Blue Cross and…
Public Health • By Olivia Aldridge, KUT • Sep 20, 2023
Vela's call for transparency would require police to release detailed data monthly
Austin Police Department may soon be required to regularly publish comprehensive data on the city’s digital portal in a move to add transparency and address a backlog of thousands of public information requests. City Council is set to consider a…
Police • By Chad Swiatecki • Sep 14, 2023
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Vacancies at public safety agencies drive overtime costs
Staffing shortages in the city’s police, fire and emergency medical services departments are driving record-high reliance on overtime. Following a request from the city’s Public Safety Commission, public safety officials provided data on overtime use, as well as some possible…
Public Safety • By Emma Freer • Sep 13, 2023
Austin firefighters have new contract in place
After years of heated negotiations, and about a year without a contract in place, Austin firefighters finally have an agreement with the city in place. The contract, which is effective immediately, comes from an three-member arbitration panel. Unlike a normal…
Fire • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 11, 2023
Austin police chief turnover follows national trends
Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon’s recent announcement that he will retire ushers in the city’s third search for a top cop in just over five years. Experts say police chief turnover is an enduring challenge catalyzed in recent years by…
Police • By Emma Freer • Sep 1, 2023
Council approves push to make air conditioning a requirement in Austin
This summer, a stretch of hot, dry weather in Austin has tested everyone’s patience. The record-high heat has also posed a danger to those not lucky enough to feel the relief of air conditioning. A new City Council resolution looks…
City Council • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 1, 2023
City, EMS union reach tentative labor agreement with wage increases
The city and the Austin Emergency Medical Services Association have reached a tentative labor agreement that moves the needle on medic salaries. The city announced Monday that both sides have agreed to a deal that, if approved, would give current…
EMS • By Nina Hernandez • Aug 30, 2023
Public Safety Commission hears update on regional emergency response coordination efforts
The Public Safety Commission heard an update on the city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and its collaboration with other public safety entities at the commission’s regular meeting on Aug. 7. The briefing was presented by HSEM Director…
